In the spring of 1869, the eighth year of Tongzhi, the world's eyes were temporarily focused on Asia, and Asia's eyes were focused on Ryukyu. Everything is just a big gamble for the upcoming war.
Let's go back in time a little further. Just one hour after Xiao Letian sent a secret message to Zeng Guofan requesting support, the most important preparatory meeting before the war was held at the Ryukyu Prime Minister's Mansion.
The Prime Minister's Mansion at the top of Ryukyu Mountain has been under high security since four o'clock in the morning. The Royal Guards and the most fanatical military school students formed two huge warning circles. Countless people were politely invited from their homes. Come out and invite them to the downtown area at the foot of the mountain for tea and drinking.
At five o'clock in the morning, the Prime Minister's Mansion had turned into a huge military camp. All the idle people were dispersed, and senior officials at all levels began to enter the venue in advance.
The Four Heavenly Kings are here, King Shoutai and the original Ryukyu veterans are also here, and Liang Kun, Noheita, Hyoutaro and others are also arriving one after another...
Then a pair of fast horses brought the leadership of the Zhiyuan, Xiang Ying, Jin Sanshun, Lin Zhen, Cai Bixia, Liu Anchen, Qiu Wei, Jiang Yuheng, Yan Xing, Sun Chujian... and other young young naval officers They also arrived in groups.
There is also Pierre, an intelligence genius who surrendered from France, and Leo, the royal cameraman.
Most of them were officers at all levels in the new army. All officers at battalion level and above gathered together and began to file into the Prime Minister's Mansion according to their military ranks.
Stars gathered together, murderous intent surged into the sky, and everyone had a unique taste before the war. Excitement mixed with worry and a little desire for future military achievements brought the crowd's emotions to a very subtle state.
"What do you think the battle plan will be this time? Will the defense of the island rely on the naval battle of the Zhiyuan?"
"I still hope that the island will be defended. If we rely solely on the navy, how will our Marines survive..."
"It's good that the island is well defended, but will the Rakshasa ghosts come? Our current island defense system can be said to be impregnable. Do they dare to come?"
"Stop talking nonsense. The Four Heavenly Kings have already entered the backyard before you know it. If you don't have time to talk nonsense, why not think about how many more titles will be obtained after this battle!"
The crowd whispered to each other and stepped across the threshold into the huge and majestic square behind the gate of the Prime Minister's Mansion. However, when they looked up, people were stunned. They didn't know what kind of medicine the Prime Minister was selling in the gourd. There was actually a huge square in the square. The bonfire had been doused with kerosene and lit.
The dry firewood was soaked with kerosene, and when the match was thrown upward, flames rose into the sky, and the person who was driven by the heat wave couldn't help but take half a step back. Immediately afterwards, a group of CIA clerks in black suits, commonly known as black dogskin, walked to the fire carrying several large baskets of documents.
Without saying a word, this group of people picked up the document bags tightly wrapped in brown paper and sealed with wax and seals and threw them into the fire. The raging fire was smashed and the wind roared.
"Old Liu, what are you doing? Why are you burning documents before the conference?" Some of the officers were familiar with these CIA clerks, and they asked in surprise.
"Don't ask me! Director Wang will give you an explanation later. Go ahead and wait in the lobby. Breakfast has been prepared for you!"
There were so many documents that it couldn't be burned in a while. Thick black smoke rose into the sky and could be seen very clearly from miles away. The generals with doubtful faces began to enter the hall.
It was already half past five in the morning, and the waiter pushed the dining cart slowly through the crowd, filled with all kinds of exquisite snacks.
The people present were very experienced, and they knew that a meeting of this scale would not be short, so they had to eat more lunch now as they might not know when to go.
Steamed buns, siomai, fried dumplings, meat-stuffed sesame cakes... almost all the staple foods were sold out. On the contrary, no one cared about the watery soups, and no one even drank the tea.
It would be a shame to have to go to the toilet in the middle of such an important meeting. The waiters also knew what the generals were thinking, and they very considerately prepared some more dry goods and even provided a large amount of chocolate candies in case of emergencies.
Time passed by, and the east became brighter and brighter. More and more generals gathered in the hall, and the bonfire outside was still burning with no intention of being extinguished.
When the time struck six-thirty, footsteps suddenly sounded from the back hall. People looked closely and saw that it was Wang Huaiyuan, one of the Four Heavenly Kings and the director of the CIA.
"Ahem, cough, cough... The Prime Minister is burning incense and praying in front of the memorial tablet of heroes. The meeting will officially convene in half an hour... Now let me tell you what is burning in the bonfire outside!"
Although Wang Huaiyuan is not a general, he has stopped commanding the army since Tanggu, but his unique status as the top leader of the CIA makes his position in the minds of the generals more sensitive, and people are even vaguely afraid of him.
Everyone put down the food in their hands and looked at the CIA director quietly. It was so quiet that you could hear a pin drop in the hall.
Wang Huaiyuan pointed at the blazing bonfire outside the palace and said loudly, "What are those wax-sealed top-secret documents? They are the internal review materials conducted by the CIA after Yang Zhi defected..."
As soon as he said this, everyone in the scene was in an uproar and looked at each other. Yang Zhi's defection was no less than a landmark event for the entire force under Xiao Letian. Some people even judge that without Yang Zhi's defection, the Chinese order would not have been launched so quickly.
Yang Zhi was already a core member who was very close to the top management, and he had a good personal relationship with the Four Heavenly Kings, otherwise the Prime Minister would not have given him the task of printing banknotes, but he did not expect that he would rebel in the end.
Why did you suddenly mention this matter today? Could it be that the Prime Minister is worried that there are spies among us? Is this going to be a big purge before the war?
Wang Huaiyuan guessed everyone's thoughts and sneered, "Yang Zhi is very senior under the Prime Minister. He is second only to me and Xiao Hexin in seniority. Everyone present has a lot of friendship with him, right?"
"Have you ever drank together? Have you ever visited a brothel together? Have you ever done business together?" Wang Huaiyuan said in a long voice, "Of course...and there are quite a few!"
"Are Yang Zhi's complaints and unwillingness really unique to him? Did you echo them after drinking? Did you feel unfair or even resentful?"
"Haha, before the Chinese code was promulgated, weren't there many people who had fantasized about being crowned kings and marquises? Then the prime minister didn't satisfy you, so he became resentful?"
Wang Huaiyuan looked at the crowd and roared loudly, "Look into my eyes, are you there?"
There was a dead silence in the hall, no one dared to speak, and many people had cold sweat streaming down their foreheads. These accusations were so heartbreaking, and directly revealed the dark side of many people's hearts.
"Don't think that I can't find out, and don't think that all my men are freeloaders! These mountains of files contain all the complaints and complaints you have ever made! I really don't understand. Where do you get all these unfair thoughts?"
"Now, the Prime Minister ordered me to come and put an end to you!"
